Part II :101 Gambling Tips For The Avid Gambler

Playing Blackjack to Lose - The Worst Moves

53. Never split 10s because you may very well be trading one excellent hand for two mediocre or bad hands.

54. Never take insurance since the odds significantly favor the dealer. Even if you're holding a blackjack on the hand yourself you will be trading a high probability of winning a 1.5 to 1 payout in exchange for a guaranteed even money payout.

55. Never stand with a soft hand that totals less than a soft 17.

Playing Craps

56. Craps is an entertaining and fast paced dice game that offers some of the best odds for players, as low as a 1.41% house advantage and even lower for some bets.

57. Craps can be a very complicated game so if you are going to be a serious player read and absorb a good systems book.

58. Establish a "standard" betting unit that is lower than your "standard" betting unit in most other casino games because in craps it's easy to get a lot of money on the table quickly during a long roll.

Playing Craps to Win - The Best Bets

59. If you just want to enjoy the game but play like you know what you're doing, try a very simple strategy starting with a new roller.

60. The Don't Pass line offers relatively good odds with just a 1.40% house advantage.

61. The Pass Line also offers relatively good odds with just a 1.41% house advantage.

62. Place a minimum amount of your "standard" unit bet on either the Pass Line or the Don't Pass Line and save the majority of the unit to "take the odds" after the point is established. In doing this you will get true odds on that backup bet with no house advantage at all.

63. Place a bet on the six or the eight in dollar amounts that are a multiple of six. The house advantage on this bet is only 1.52% and if the number is rolled you'll win $7.00 for every $6.00 you bet.

Playing Craps to Lose - The Worst Bets

64. All of these bets offer impressive payouts but even those high payouts are not enough to offset the big house advantage.

65. The "Any 7" bet, where you bet that the next roll will be a 7, provides the worst odds on the table with a house advantage of almost 17%.

66. The "Any Craps" bet, where you bet that the next roll will be a 2, 3 or 12, also offers bad odds with a house advantage of just over 11%.

67. The "Hardway" bets and the "Big 6" and "Big 8" bets are also poor odds with a house advantage of from 9% to 11%.

Playing Texas Hold-'Em Poker

68. The more players there are at the table the higher the odds that at least one other player has a strong pocket hand, so be more cautious with your pre-flop betting.

69. Be careful betting a high pre-flop card unless you have a good kicker as well.

70. Determine early the types of players at your table - aggressive or cautious - and remember and adjust your determinations throughout the game.

71. At games where notes are allowed make a note on any player whose tendencies you identify. You may see them later at another table.

72. Bet or raise with a good hand; don't let other players get free cards that might make their marginal hand into a strong one.

73. Don't be predictable. Vary your play to confuse your opponents as to whether you are an aggressive or cautious player.

74. Don't bluff often and try to establish a cautious reputation at the table so that when you do bluff your opponents will think you must have a good hand and be more reluctant to call your bluff.

Playing Slots - The Facts

75. The payback percentages for online slot machines are generally better than the payback percentages in live casinos.

76. The numbers revealed on a spin of the wheels on a slot machine do not show up in any order. The numbers are being selected constantly, not just when the handle is pulled. The numbers to be displayed on the wheels are randomly selected at the instant that the handle is pulled or the spin button is pushed.

77. It's impossible to tell when a machine is about to hit.

78. A machine can go for very long periods of time without a significant jackpot or it could register several large jackpots in a row. It's all random selection.

79. The number of coins you choose to play affects only the amount of your bet; it does not influence the selection of the numbers.

80. Slot machines can be set with different payback percentages as well as different hit percentages.

81. Payback is the percentage of the money bet that the machine will return to the players over the long term. It usually ranges from 75% to as much as 99%.

82. The hit percentage is the percent of the time that the machine will payout some money on a spin. This can vary widely, from under 10% to over 90%.

83. Machines that are set to pay off frequently will usually have more small payout amounts and fewer large jackpots.

84. Machines with a high hit percentage (those that are set to pay off frequently) are normally referred to as "loose" slots.

85. Machines with a low hit percentage (those that are set to seldom pay off) will usually have more large jackpots and few small payout amounts.

86. Machines with a low hit percentage (those that are set to pay off infrequently) are normally referred to as "tight" slots.

87. There is no universally accepted "good" slot machine; it depends on the individual player and whether he would prefer many small payouts or a chance for one large jackpot.

Playing Slots - Strategies

88. Because of the random nature of each individual machine no gaming strategy will work over the long run on slots.

89. Before you start a gambling session on slots determine the amount you want to win and resolve to withdraw your cash when you reach that goal.

90. Choose an online site that does not have a wagering requirement that must be met before you can withdraw your money.

91. With all other factors being equal, choose the online site that offers the biggest bonus to new players.

92. Because the house has an advantage in slots, playing with small bets for long periods is a sure-fire strategy to lose.

93. The key to improving your odds of winning lies in knowing which type of slot machine to play.

94. When selecting a slot to play, avoid those with huge jackpots; the best odds of winning lie in the machines with small jackpots because their most frequent payoffs will be of medium size.

95. Play only on small jackpot machines that offer as many beneficial bonus features as possible.

96. Look for machines that offer wild symbols as well as multipliers to improve your odds of winning.

97. Look for slots offering second-screen bonuses or free spins to improve your chances of winning.

98. Look for slots offering what is known as the "gamble" feature where your wins can be gambled for double-or-nothing for as many as five times.

99. When you reach your pre-determined target for winnings STOP and cash in your chips.

Finally, there are two critical rules to all gambling, including online gambling, that you must follow and these rules bear repeating:

100. Never gamble with "dear" money; only gamble with "excess" money. In other words, never gamble with money that you will need, or may need, to pay your everyday living expenses.

101. Set a limit to the amount of money you are willing to lose, and can afford to lose, and stick to it.